Easter Torrejas

Torrejas are a bit like French toast and always remind me of Easter with my Salvadoran grandmother. She was in charge of the food in my house and, of course, the menu had to be extra special on these sacred days. She would prepare codfish with garbanzos and torrejas drenched in sweet syrup with a touch of liquor, two unforgettable dishes.
Perhaps in those times grandmothers did not worry about whether children had alcohol in desserts, but obviously my grandmother wasn't too concerned about it. Since she never drank liquor, I guess she didn't add much, but enough for children to taste it.
The food was the best part of those hot, long, super boring days, because my sweet grandmother did not allow us to listen to music or watch TV. It was forbidden to play and run, but the worst was that on Good Friday we were not allowed to shower because she would tell us that we could grow a fish tail… She was so creative! The magical realism of my favorite writer fell short to these wild stories. So you can understand why the food was the center of our lives on these days and fortunately Grandma was a divine cook.
She also had a habit of not letting girls enter the kitchen, so this is my interpretation of the torrejas that delighted me every year when I spent Easter with her. The honey syrup is a transparent and flavored with cinnamon, and the slices of bread are thick and filled with sweet syrup. It's such a provocative reminder that I cannot resist the temptation and I think I'll have to eat some right now.
What desserts remind you of Easter?MORE +LESS -

Ingredients

Syrup:

1

cup sugar

1 1/2

cup water

2

cinnamon sticks

1

shot of rum or Pisco (optional)

Torrejas:

1

loaf of bread (baguette)

1

cup milk

3

eggs

Vegetable oil for frying

Mint leaves

Directions

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1

To make the syrup, combine the sugar, water and cinnamon in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, lower heat slightly and cook until the bubbles look a little thick, about 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in rum or Pisco.

2

The syrup should be at room temperature to soak the torrejas.

3

Torrejas:
Cut the bread into 1-inch-thick slices. Place in a pan with the milk to absorb some of the milk, flipping once so both sides are moistened. Do not let them soak or they will be soft.

4

In a separate bowl beat the eggs until they are frothy.

5

Heat vegetable oil in a skillet.

6

Dip the bread slices in the egg mixture to completely cover them. Fry them in hot oil and flip when browned.

7

Remove from the skillet and place them on a plate with paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Place into a bowl or an oven-friendly baking dish and sprinkle with the syrup. Leave at room temperature until ready to serve.

8

Serve one or two torrejas per person with a side of syrup.

Expert Tips

When you make the syrup, add 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon powder.

Use day old bread or bread that's already somewhat hard so that the torrejas don't fall apart.

Replace the white sugar with brown sugar.

Nutrition Information

No nutrition information available for this recipe

More About This Recipe

Torrejas are a bit like French toast and always remind me of Easter with my Salvadoran grandmother. She was in charge of the food in my house and, of course, the menu had to be extra special on these sacred days. She would prepare codfish with garbanzos and torrejas drenched in sweet syrup with a touch of liquor, two unforgettable dishes.
Perhaps in those times grandmothers did not worry about whether children had alcohol in desserts, but obviously my grandmother wasn't too concerned about it. Since she never drank liquor, I guess she didn't add much, but enough for children to taste it.
The food was the best part of those hot, long, super boring days, because my sweet grandmother did not allow us to listen to music or watch TV. It was forbidden to play and run, but the worst was that on Good Friday we were not allowed to shower because she would tell us that we could grow a fish tail… She was so creative! The magical realism of my favorite writer fell short to these wild stories. So you can understand why the food was the center of our lives on these days and fortunately Grandma was a divine cook.
She also had a habit of not letting girls enter the kitchen, so this is my interpretation of the torrejas that delighted me every year when I spent Easter with her. The honey syrup is a transparent and flavored with cinnamon, and the slices of bread are thick and filled with sweet syrup. It's such a provocative reminder that I cannot resist the temptation and I think I'll have to eat some right now.
What desserts remind you of Easter?